News, Gym Talk, Events, and Articles to feed the Mind!

School is back in session!! Sorry Teachers....its time to jump back into the fray! Don't let that deter you from coming to the gym! I will still be waiting for you!

Schedule is back to its old self! NO MORE 9AM on weekdays! Just 5,6, and 8AM again for the mornings.

Afternoon classes will still be 3:30, 4:30, 5:30, and 6:30pm Monday through Thursday.
NO 6:30pm on Fridays

We are close to finishing our Squat cycle!! Just a few more weeks before we test our 1 Rep Max! So be sure to get your squats in during the week if you missed it! With the Open slowly creeping back up in October, we will have more skill sessions to dial down on some weaknesses. I can only do so much in our class time to try to help you all get better. Are you putting enough time into your own weaknesses outside of class time?? What gave you trouble in the last Open?? Ask me for help! I can give you pointers and progressions to help, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU TO MAKE TIME to work on them!

Welcome some new faces!!

Be sure to get to know Erin Elmore and Angelia Cameron! They are the newest addition to our Unyielding family and have been kicking butt since they joined up!! Keep up the amazing work ladies!

Just a few more weeks before we test the Squat! Trust the process and try to stick with the prescribed percentages! Don't get caught in the excitement and jump the gun on hitting some heavier numbers if you are feeling pretty powerful while you hit 90-95% of your max. You will have the opportunity soon, I promise!

You may have noticed some things in the programming where one week seems to be a lot tougher than the following week, then it gets pretty rough again! The thought process is, you can't go hard and heavy every single week! Our bodies need some de-load and recuperation time so we can bounce back stronger once our bodies have rested. If you feel like a million bucks though, just remember that we have plenty of other programs that you could look into for extra work! Don't take the other programs lightly....I do a lot of the workouts and they kick my butt every time! In the end, remember that we are in this for the long haul!

SOCCER GAME WAS SO MUCH FUN!! THANKS FOR COMING!

I had a blast hanging out with all of you and hope we will continue to get together as much as possible!

Nutrition Challenge!!

The Challenge

Eat 800 grams (g) of fruits and/or vegetables (total) a day.

No foods are restricted during the challenge but only fruits and vegetables count towards the 800g total.

Total calories (and macronutrient grams) are up to the individual based on their fruit and vegetable choices, as well as the other foods in their diet.

The Nitty-Gritty

The key is that you can weigh the item as a standalone or unprocessed item. It does not matter if the item is cooked, canned, frozen, or fresh.

You can count fruit and vegetables you weigh before making a recipe applied to the serving you consume (i.e., veggies in a chili, ingredients for blending in a smoothie).

Canned items are ok if canned in water and/or spices only, like canned black beans, and you weigh the drained solids.

Refuse (peels, cores, or skins) that are not consumed should not be included.

The expectation is that you weigh and measure at home, work, etc. You can eyeball fruits and vegetables from restaurants (no need to break out the scale for ordering broccoli). We expect you to use a restaurant’s website nutrition information where available (e.g., Chipotle). Be sure you estimate appropriately: leafy greens do not weigh much (~25g a cup) and most restaurant vegetable portions are often ~75-85 grams.

As for the cooking oil, assuming it is a standard light coating, do not worry about the oil contribution and weigh the item cooked.

You can cheat any diet or system. Go with the spirit of the challenge and when in doubt, do not count it.

The “Yes/Nos”

Hopefully, we don’t have to list all the existing fruits and vegetables! You know these. Here are a few exceptions that can be confusing:

Avocado: A fruit! Count it.

Coconut: A fruit! Count it if you eat it as the fresh meat. Liquid (milk and juices) and dried (flakes) coconut products do not count.

Corn: As in corn on the cob or whole kernels, count it! Corn derivatives (i.e., cornmeal, popcorn (derived from dried kernels)) do not count.

Fermented/pickled foods (e.g., kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles): Assuming its just vegetables and weighed (relatively) drained, these count. If the brine includes sugar, it does not count.

French fries: No. Commercially fried anything is out for the 800g total. Cut up potatoes roasted at home are fair game.

Grains (like quinoa or buckwheat) do not count.

Legumes (beans) and peas: Except for peanuts, count them!

Olives: A fruit! Count them.

Nuts: Do not count towards your total.

Tomato derivatives (e.g., salsa, tomato sauce): If the entire ingredient list is vegetables and spices, count it. Most tomato sauces, salsas, etc., however, include water, oil, and/or sugar in the ingredient list, such that they do not count.

Per above, you can cheat any diet or system. If you are questioning if something counts, it probably does not.

Mobility/Stability Corner

Thoracic Spine Mobility is essential when it comes to putting a barbell overhead for pressing movements and Snatches. Having sufficient mobility allows us to get upside down for handstands too! Take some time to work on that lovely spine that we make work so hard on a daily basis.

I will be sending out a separate email about how you can utilize all of the programs that we offer now and how each one is different! If you check your Wodify, you will see that I have changed the names of the programs so members and future members any will have choices other than CrossFit.

As always! You can reach me if you need anything. My number is 470-234-5345